The Traditional Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Jakarta

Rorate has been informed that, in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, a Low Mass is currently celebrated every 3rd Saturday a month by an Indonesian priest "in good standing" who, nevertheless, has asked not to be be named. The Mass is held in a private residence in the city of Tangerang, 30km south of Jakarta and is attended by 20-30 people, mostly youths.

The following is a picture of this Mass. I can't show the other pictures as these will make the priest easy to identify:

The Archbishop of Jakarta, Julius Cardinal Darmaatmadja S.J., (currently 75 years old) had publicly declared in 2007 (the Indonesian text can be found here) that Summorum Pontificum does NOT apply to his archdiocese, deeming it "not relevant". On the other hand, the Indonesian bishops' liturgical commission, in that same year,asked priests not to refuse requests for the TLM.

13 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Thank you for this, Mr. Palad. In my work updating listings for T.L.M.s, I have frequently run into this sort of situation, in which a celebrant was hiding his Masses or afraid to offer them. On one occasion, when a group I work with listed a certain private Mass, the bishop sent me an angry letter threateing action against the celebrant unless I removed the listing. A certain other celebrant has told me that his bishop finds ways of occupying him so that he cannot offer the T.L.M. on more Sundays. It is incredible how far some bishops and chancery hacks will go to stop the Mass of the Ages.

You shouldn't even have this picture up. Why jeopardize a good thing? Someone, somewhere, will know exactly which priest that is just by looking at his frame, the back of his head, etc. I really do suggest taking down the picture, or at least putting up a picture where the priest is pixellated or whatnot.

To Anonymous (17:10): In a country that a local ordinaries do not support TLM in any chapel or church or cathedral we must support ourselves whatever costs. What do you expect if the total collect for the monthly mass is around $50.00? So limited resources here!

So good to see the Mass being said regularly in Indonesia, despite the odds laid against it. I have a great fondness for the Indonesian people, and to those readers of this blog who are a part of this small community, please be assured of one Australian's prayers.

That the Mass however must be said in secret, here and across the globe, to avoid neither secular control nor anti-Catholic persecution, but rather to escape the attention and censure of Bishops of "good standing", should make every Catholic weep.

May we always be grateful for such courageous priests, and never cease in our prayers for them. Thank-you to Rorate for this heartening piece of news.